Strider Zeku
by Infernostar01
Summary: With his pupil surpassing him as the 38th Grandmaster of Bushinryu, Zeku seeks a new path. He plans to found a new organization to call his own, but hasn't quite determined all the details for it. But a run in with an unexpected face shows him just how far his idea could go... Street Fighter V X Strider


"A daily lesson. Meet a new you, everyday. Such is growth, young lass."

"Sheesh, you can stop with the poetry, gramps" Ibuki said, stretching her back in the spot it was crushed into the wooden planks she was now standing on. The young kunoichi had been unsuccessful in her efforts to stop the elder ninja that stood before her, having been squarely bested in combat by him.

"I can do without the name calling, madame. Just because I beat you doesn't mean you get to act cross with me." The old man replied, a cocky grin on his worn face as he brushed some of his long grey hair out of his face.

His name was Zeku, 37th Grandmaster of Bushinryu, succeeded by one Guy, his former disciple, to be the 38th Grandmaster. Now free from his position, the old man saw fit to roam the world and found a new organization for ninja, though he still seemed undecided on a name for it.

"When are you gonna leave this place anyway, gramps? You've been hanging out here for days now because of that crazy idea you had for a new ninja group, but all I ever see you do is either fight one of us, or talking to yourself." The kunoichi asked, adjusting the dark blue mask over her mouth, and smoothing out her blue and white school uniform.

Zeku sighed, lifting up one leg and balancing himself on the one still on the ground. The old master's attire was rather different than Ibuki's, He wore a yellow and green vest with a dragon designed on it, with a dark blue ninja gi underneath matching his traditional pants and open-toed boots, alongside an orange turtleneck beneath his garb.

"I shall take my leave once I feel prepared to start my organization off proper" Zeku replied. "Until then, I feel capable of serving Miss Kanzuki here until my services are needed elsewhere."

"Yeah, whatever. Hey, can I talk to the other you?" Ibuki asked, rapidly losing interest in the old man. He appeared disheartened by her lack of investment in him, so instead Zeku opted to slam a smoke bomb down, and transform into his younger self.

That was Zeku's personal technique. He could alter his appearance between his true form in his old age, or revert back to his younger, more serious self. His young version's hair was just as long as the old form, only a dark brown. The outfit he wore was also slightly different than his older version, replacing the vest with a red scarf that hung around his neck and covered his mouth, and a red sash that tied into an obi.

"Ahh, much better" Ibuki said, reminding herself of the first encounter she had with Zeku. She had first met the older ninja in his young form, and was rather infatuated with him before reality struck and she found out his true form. _At least he acts a bit differently like this_ She thought, _Much better than his creepy old form_.

"Your words wound my older self." Young Zeku stated, crossing his arms. "Though I am flattered by your interest in me, I am not currently available for such a thing. Unless you would be willing to join us in the new organization once it is complete and you are a little older."

 _And there he goes again…_ Ibuki thought, getting annoyed again by Zeku's constant pestering of her to join his group. "Not you too…Can't you run off to go do something for Miss Kanzuki or something?'

"Afraid not, my dear. Miss Kanzuki is currently out on a trip to Brazil to search for the one-armed hermit known as Oro." He replied, wind blowing through his scarf. _You cannot get rid of me that easily, little miss._

It was then that he heard it. A very faint, but still audible, rustle in the distance. Zeku snapped to attention, not recognizing the sound from any animal he would here in the forest. He tilted his head in the direction he heard the noise from, as he tuned Ibuki's voice out of his focus.

"…Pardon me for a moment. I will be back soon." Zeku stated, leaping into the air and onto the roof of one of the buildings of the Kanzuki residence. Hearing Ibuki yell "Hey, where are you going!?" He leapt from the rooftop towards the woods.

"…Great, first he wouldn't stop pestering me in his old form, and now he won't even acknowledge me in his young form. Just where is he going anyway?" She asked herself, watching his disappear into the forest.

 _Now where are you…_ The Young Zeku thought to himself, as he leapt from branch to branch silently, searching for the source of the noise. Stopping for a moment to check his surroundings and adjust his scarf, he heard the sound again from a nearby tree.

"Found you" He said to himself, leaping across the branches to the new tree. He circled around the tree to find a site the young ninja was not expecting.

Standing on another branch was a young ninja, decked out with gear. He had short brown hair and wore a bluish-purple gi with red kanji over the top left of his chest. His lower face was masked by a long red scarf, and he had a loose metallic belt with a red sash around his waist. He almost looked like some sort of Cyber Ninja.

Noticing Zeku's presence, the young ninja leapt from the tree to the ground, pulling out a weapon he carried on his back. It resembled a broadsword, with the hilt of a tonfa, allowing him to wield it either as a traditional sword or by wielding the short handle on the side of the hilt.

"Stand down. I seek no battle with you" Zeku said, dropping from the trees to the ground to face the ninja at eye-level. "Who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"That information is classified." The ninja replied coldly, looking over Zeku's appearance. "For now, you may know me by my codename. I am known as Strider Hiryu. Now tell me, where am I?"

"Where are you? Why you are in the woods of Japan, near the Kanzuki Residence of course." Zeku replied, showing no fear to Hiryu. _Strider huh…I like that_.

"Hmm…" Hiryu seemed perplexed by Zeku's statement, as he sheathed his blade. "My apologies for appearing hostile. I appear to have found myself in a location I am not aware of. May I ask for your name?"

"But of course. My name is Zeku." He replied. Hiryu seemed a little disturbed by such a name, doubling over his look at the Bushinryu expert, not seeming convinced. "This, however, is not my normal form. Give me one moment."

Raising his hand high before dropping it down once again, Zeku turned back to his normal form. This seemed to shock Hiryu even further, who took a few steps back. "Calm down, it is merely a technique I have developed through years of training."

"That is not the cause for my concern." Strider replied, doing one final look over of Zeku before seeming satisfied. "Sir…I know you from somewhere. But I fear it may not be safe for me to say it without risking myself."

"Pardon? What are you implying by that?" Zeku asked, curious as to what Hiryu was hiding. The old master looked over Hiryu who seemed concerned for his well-being.

"To put it simply, I am not…from, here. And I fear staying for long could risk damaging where I come from."

"Come from? You don't mean to tell me that this time itself is not the one you are familiar with?" Zeku said, a bit surprised at his own words. But, if he could master the art of changing his appearance and age, he supposed such an out there idea as time travel could potentially be true.

"It sounds rather absurd, but I believe it to be true. Sire, where I come from, you are the founder of the organization I am a part of. The Striders."

"Striders…I had been considering that name for some time now, though my other half wasn't so keen on it." Zeku thought aloud, reminded of the argument he had partaken in with his younger self. Though he was keen on giving the new organization an English name to make it more modern, his younger self was steadfast in giving the group a Japanese name, symbolic of their former Bushinryu training.

"I'd heard stories about your mind being of two, but I was unaware of how literal that statement was" Hiryu replied, paying close attention to his superior.

"Interesting. Looks like we finally did commit to our idea" Zeku concluded, fascinated by seeing his future disciple. The idea that he would one day lead an organization with such well-equipped ninja excited him deeply, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. That was when he noticed something that stood out to him.

"Hm. Hiryu, did you perhaps come from that over there?" Zeku asked, pointing a finger passed Hiryu. The young Strider turned around the see in the distance a glowing hole in the ground. Sensing it as the potential way home, Hiryu dashed towards it, with Zeku following behind him.

The two quickly found themselves standing over the hole, which glowed a faint blue hue. "This must be the way home" Hiryu said aloud, turning to face Zeku. "It was an honor to meet you, sire. I have enjoyed my time in the Striders."

"And it was an honor to see my hard work pay off in such a potent pupil" Zeku said, returning the compliments. "I may not be able to see you with my own eyes in my own time, but I wish you the best in our endeavors."

"Thank you, Grandmaster." With that said, Hiryu took the plunge into the portal, which disappeared after he passed through it.

 _Grandmaster Zeku…I like the sound of that as well. Its been too long since I held that title._

 **Some Time Later…**

"So, the old bloke finally tossed off, eh?" Birdie asked, dusting off his bare belly as Ibuki read the note. The British security Karin Kanzuki had hired was not impressed by Zeku's antics, but was a bit surprised to see him leave out of the blue.

"Seems like it. All he left was this note for us." Ibuki replied, showing the larger fighter Zeku's farewell.

 _Dear Friends,_

 _Time has come for me to seek my own path. I have seen something no one else can claim they saw, and took it as a sign that I must begin anew. I hope I may one day see you all again, not as friends, but as allies in my little organization. Take Care._

 _Strider Zeku._


End file.
